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In the pipeline
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Safari Guides Training
Program
The Royal Danish Embassy have recently committed funds to establish a
safari guide training program at CLZ HQ in an effort to empower local
community members. There is a shortage of experienced, qualified Zambian
safari guides and the intention is to conduct 9 month courses where
students will receive intensive theoretical and practical training
resulting in their becoming licensed safari guides with ZAWA. CLZ intends
to sell spaces on this course priced so that it can offer a limited number
of scholarships to people from the surrounding communities and in so doing
provide a necessary service to the local community and the safari
operators.
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African Wild Dog Conservation
Kellie Leigh returned briefly to
Zambia in June 2005 to announce that she has in principle received support
from WWF to extend and expand AWDC’s program for at least three years – all
that remains is to conclude consultations with ZAWA. She will be returning
in September 2005 for further discussions and CLZ anticipates that it will
play a supporting role in this vital project that protects and raises
awareness of the Lower Zambezi’s threatened wild dog population.
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CLZ assist ZAWA and CERU with Elephant Study
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CLZ assisted a
research team including the Conservation Ecology Research Unit (CERU) from
the University of Pretoria, Peace Parks Foundation and the ZAWA ecologist
to satellite collar 6 female elephant (2 in Chiawa GMA and 4 in Lower
Zambezi National Park) in the Lower Zambezi Valley.
Although the team
had already employed the use of a helicopter for the actual darting they
also contracted CLZ for the use of the wildlife monitoring aircraft to
locate suitable family groups and as ground support for the operation.
The programme's research
initiative reaches across the Southern African distributional range of
elephants and the research team is conducting projects in the Etosha/
Damaraland cluster (Namibia), the Chobe cluster (Botswana in collaboration
with Conservation International), the Kafue cluster (Zambia), the Limpopo
cluster (Kruger and Cautada 16 straddling South Africa and Mozambique),
and the Maputo cluster (Tembe and Maputo straddling South Africa and
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The first project is directed at the
vital attributes of the elephant populations themselves, the second at the
interactions between elephants and their environments, and the third at
landscape use, dispersal routes, distances and rates. Much of the research
in the third category is to be interpreted in terms of spatial analyses
based on distance methods such as satellite telemetry and the analyses of
satellite imagery.
The programme centres
on the integration of all the relevant information gained through these
projects into the development of the mega park concept.
CLZ were proud to be
part of this megapark initiative. |
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GIS and Database |
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Over the years CLZ have recognised
the need for a tool to gauge, record, monitor and analyse the effectiveness
of the protection and poaching levels and the development in the Lower
Zambezi. In 2003 CLZ started working with ZAWA’s Head of Information under
the Directorate of Research to design and establish a Geographical
Information System (GIS) and Database for the Lower Zambezi National Park
and surrounding GMAs.
Andrew Stevenson (Ian’s brother) who
has an IT Degree with a major in GIS flew in from Australia with his family
and volunteered 3 months of his time to assist CLZ and ZAWA in the formation
of the GIS. The GIS grew to be much larger then first anticipated and he has
generously carried on with the project from Australia during 2004 and
visited base camp again in January 2005. Andrew has put over 1000 hours of
work into the impressive system and is due many thanks for his efforts.
It was hoped that selected ZAWA
officers would be trained in computers and the GIS, enabling them to input
daily data that would be required to fully utilize the system. Unfortunately
this does not appear to be a possibility. Although not fully completed, the
GIS was delivered to ZAWA Chilanga in January 2005 and we sincerely hope it
will be of assistance in managing and protecting the Lower Zambezi Area
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Help
us to save the animals!
Conservation
Lower Zambezi,
P O Box 50299, Lusaka, Zambia
clzinfo@iwayafrica.com |